Improvement in compound explosive shells



J. MQLNTYRE Shell;

Patented Oct. 14, 1862.

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JAMES MOINTYRE, on NEW YORK, n. Y.

IMPROVEMENT IN COMPOUND EXPLOSIVE SHELLS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 36,6615, dated October14, 1862.

To all whom it may concern-.-

Be it known that I. JAMES MCINTYRE, of the city and State of New York,have invented, made, and applied to use a certain new and usefulImprovement in Projectiles; and I do hereby declare the following to bea full, clear, and exact description of the nature of my said invention,reference being had to the annexed drawings, making part of thisspecification, wherein Figure l is a section of my bomb or projectile,and Fig. 2 is a plan of the grenades contained in said bomb.

Similar marks of reference denote the same parts.

My invention consists in a combination of grenades with a bomb-shell,the said grenades being so fitted that their proper position ismaintained in the shell, but that they can be successively charged withpowder while within the main shell, and a fuse introduced in each, andthen the main shell is to be charged with powder. The explosion ensuingfrom the firing of the bomb, as usual, breaks the main shell, throwingthat and the several grenades in different directions, and thesegrenades, exploding separately, produce avery destructive result uponthe vessel or troops against which the bomb has been directed.

In the drawings, a a a are grenades of the desired size and shape. Iprefer that they should be of an elongated or oval shape.

Each of these grenades is properly prepared with a screw-hole forreceiving the fuse and with projections at the ends, by which saidgrenades are held in place between two heads, b b, as seen in Fig. 2,said projections entering mortices in the said heads, and these headsare kept to the ends of the grenades by a tie-rod, a, passing throughthe center and forming an axis, on which said grenades may be rotated.When the grenades are thus prepared, they are to be surrounded withmolding-sand and form the core around which the bomb-shell (Z is cast.The ends of the axis 0 are left projecting from the sand core, and theshell cl is cast around them, so that after the casting has been made ofthe shell d and the sand cleaned out, as usual, through the hole at e,the said grenades can be rotated on the axis 0. Each grenade insuccession is filled with powder through this fuse-hole e, and its fusei screwed in, after which the main shell (Z is charged and its fuse kinserted in the hole e, as usual. When the shell is fired, the fuse 7cis ignited, and that causes the explosion of the bomb. The force of theexplosion not only breaks the outer case, but also separates thegrenades from the heads I) b, sending them in different directions,igniting their fuses z, and said grenades explode separately, thusincreasing the destructive power of theprojectile, and causing as manyseparate explosions as there are grenades.

By this construction the grenades are held properly in their place inthe ball and prevented from changing position in transportation. Thusliability to premature explosion by any movement of the grenades isprevented, and the bomb is uniformly balanced in weight.

Stringsof cast balls may be introduced between the heads I) b at thesides of the grenades a a, if desired.

The fuses employed in the grenades a a should be of a character thatwillresist the pressure to which they are subjected by the explosion of thebomb without the fire driving through them, and may be of a length thatwill allow the necessary lapse of time between the explosion of the mainbomb and the respective grenades;

The present invention is set forth in Letters Patent granted to me inBelgium, January 31, 1862.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

The grenades a a, introduced between the heads I) b, and fitted so as tobe rotated upon the shaft or axis cwithin the bombshell d, as and forthe purposes specified.

In witness whereof Ihave hereunto set my signature this 9th day ofAugust, 1862.

JAMES MOIN TYRE.

Witnesses:

LEMUEL W. SERRELL, Guns. H. SMITH.

